The present invention relates generally to hand railings for bleachers, platform seating and other telescopic seating arrangements. More particularly, the invention relates to a system of handrails which can be mounted to, removed from, and stored within a telescopic seating assembly.
Hand railing systems for bleachers are generally well-known in the prior art. Examples of such systems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,991 (Wiese) and 4,014,522 (Sutter) wherein a sloping upper rail is supported by a plurality of support members extending downwardly from the rail into supports mounted to the underlying telescopic structure.
Other more complex systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,997,165 (Wiese), 3,788,608 (Raymond et al), and 3,401,918 (Wiese), where the railings include multiple hinges and multiple interconnected and moveable parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,523 (Reader) shows simple handrails, but in the context of fixed stadium seats. This railing has a plurality of vertical supports attached at multiple locations to a stadium chair at the end of a row of stadium seats.
In telescopic seating systems, there is generally a requirement that the railing be removable from its use position in order for the seating to telescope from the extended position, in which the rows of seating are accessible, to a retracted position, in which the seating assembly occupies a minimum of floor space. Installation and storage of the railings can present problems, especially if hinges are precluded or eliminated from the design, as they often are because of their tendency to snag. The Life Safety Code Handbook (1994) at Section 5-2-2.4.4 suggests that handrails have "no projections that might engage loose clothing." Large handrails which cannot be stored on or near the seating assembly may need to be carried longer distances, by multiple workers. Even if storage is near the location where the seating will be used, assembly of large unhinged rails can be difficult because of alignment problems resulting from large tolerances present in telescopic seating systems. Large and/or complex handrail assemblies are also a problem in that they are heavy and, if dropped, can damage the seating assembly itself or a gymnasium floor. Large or complex handrail assemblies are generally difficult to handle and install and, as a result, installation may be postponed or avoided if a shortage of personnel or time should arise.
In instances where a railing does not get installed, either because of a remote storage location or because of a complex assembly, a second hazard emerges, in addition to the absence of a handrail: the hardware used to support the missing handrail can itself be a tripping hazard. This is particularly true of systems which are intended to be installed down the center of an aisle.
The present invention solves many of the problems associated with prior art handrail systems used in telescopic seating assemblies. The railing system of the present invention can be easily handled by one person, and its installation is not dependent upon or otherwise complicated by variance in the alignment of sections of the telescopic assembly to which it is mounted. The components of the system of the present invention may be readily stored within the seating assembly with which it is used. In addition, the railing system of the present invention meets all code requirements regarding spacing and the absence of snag and tripping hazards.
The invention can be summarized, with reference to a preferred embodiment, as a series of independently supported uprights mounted to the decks of a telescopic seating assembly. Each upright has a single elongated base segment to which is mounted a plate which fits into a support socket afixed to the nose of a deck. A curved section comprised of a series of bent sections extends upwardly and at angles from a base segment to form a closed loop which may be readily grasped by spectators entering and leaving the seating assembly.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show some preferred embodiments of the invention. It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art, however, that the drawings and the embodiments shown and described herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to preclude other versions, modifications, variations or improvements from coming within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.